ANTIOXIDANT ADMINISTRATION TO THE MOTHER PREVENTS OXIDATIVE STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH BIRTH IN THE NEONATAL RAT

In the fetal-to-neonatal transition, important circulatory and respira tory changes ensue which lead to oxidative stress evidenced by changes in glutathione status. Administration of N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), a g lutathione precursor, to the mother might be a rational approach to pr otect the fetus against oxidative stress. We have found that NAC admin istration to pregnant rats partially prevents the change in hepatic GS SG that occurs in the fetal-neonatal transition: GSSG increased 11-fol d (from 1 to 12 nmol/g) in controls and less than two-fold (from 5 to 9 nmol/g) in animals exposed to NAC in utero. The GSH/GSSG ratio in li ver of NAC-treated newborns was 411 +/- 216 and in liver of controls i t was 283 +/- 176. Thus, the oxidative stress that occurs in the fetal -to-neonatal transition is partially prevented by oral NAC administrat ion.